Haggerty had promised to run an elaborate poll-watching operation for Bloomberg. The poll watchers, however, were never hired, and Haggerty instead used the money to buy a house.

His attorney argued that it was a crime of emotion — Haggerty was trying to hold on to his childhood home in Queens.

The prosecutor argued that Haggerty could have taken out a loan, but he chose to steal from Bloomberg, a billionaire, thinking his campaign would not notice.

On appeal, Haggerty unsuccessfully argued that the trial court should have required original documents proving the money belonged to Bloomberg, rather than relying on the testimony of a lawyer for the campaign trust.